Village of demons
by Inujin
Summary: What happens when a village starts to accept demons? Fuedal Japan doesnt seem ready for it. What happens when war comes to the village and a halfdemon realizes he has more allies than he thought? Inu x kag, san x mir
1. Chapter 1

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Disclaimer: The Inuyasha story does not belong to me but to Rumiko Takahashi and I thank her for bringing it to us.

Village of demons

Chapter One: A New Season

The group was settled in for the evening in a small clearing beside a shallow river. The mood was quiet and somber. Everyone was in their own little world thinking about what was going to become of them in the future. They had finally defeated the evil that was Naraku. He would never plague the world again, they made sure of that. For once it truly felt like he was no more. Everyone had thought that this would be a joyous occasion filled with celebration of their victory, but all that had come after the battle was many unanswered questions.

Inuyasha sat idly up in a tree near the camp watching over the group as he often did. He was as quiet as the rest of them thinking about the battle. It hurt him to think about it, but in the climax of the battle Kikyou had thrown herself at Naraku with everything she had. In the end it was his downfall, but it was hers as well. He was greatly saddened by the loss of Kikyou, but at least now he was free to seek out Kagome.

He felt drawn to her in a way he had never really felt towards Kikyou. He had loved her, but more and more it seemed like their love had been more of a desperate need for companionship. They had been more than friends, almost like necessities to each others broken souls, but that was all.

Kagome dared a sneaking glance up at the tree were Inuyasha sat, she knew he was thinking about Kikyou. She felt so bad for him, even though Kikyou was something that kept her from showing her true feelings for Inuyasha, she had never wished anything like this upon her. She looked up at him again but this time their eyes met and she swore she could see something in them, something besides the hurt. What she didn't know was that it was longing in his eyes.

After what seemed like an eternity she finally looked away as she got up to prepare the food they had. She looked over and saw Shippou curled up next to Kirara, he had a sad look on his face. She knew that he wanted to cheer everyone up but just didn't know how.

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While the rest of us are thinking about the future all he is thinking about is the fact that the people that have become his family aren't happy, she thought sadly.

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I should give him something to do to take his mind off everything, he is young enough that a simple task should do.

She reached over and grabbed a pot out of her large yellow bag.

"Shippou, can you go fill this pot with water so that I can make a stew?" She asked.

Overjoyed that someone had broken the silence the kit ran over to Kagome.

"Sure, I can do it!" He replied happily as he ran towards the river.

Hearing the mention of food, one of Inuyasha's favorite subjects, he jumped from the tree and landed quietly besides Kagome.

"What no ramen?" He asked, knowing that it annoyed her that he never wanted anything besides his beloved ramen. She knew his game and smiled lightly.

"Inuyasha, you have to eat something besides ramen. Its just not healthy. I am surprised your brain hasn't turned into a giant glob of salty noodles…"

The conversation between Inuyasha and Kagome seemed to finally pull Miroku and Sango out of their ponderings as Miroku asked, "Kagome when might we be getting some more of that delicious food from your time?"

"Yes Kagome I have been hoping for a re-supply of some of that shampoo stuff you gave me. It made my hair so soft, and it smelled wonderful." Sango asked, following up Miroku's question.

"Well I would be more then happy to get you guys some more stuff if **_someone_ **would let me go home for a little while". Inuyasha flinched at the tone she used, along with the evil glare, and knew she was irritated.

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Well maybe I will let her go back for a little while on that side of the well, it is safer and maybe the peace of her era could help me get what I want…her.

He had come to realize it a few months before the battle with Naraku he had always felt a connection to her ever since she had freed him from goshinboku, but after being around her for so long and having to be without her when she went to her time he knew that what he felt for her was more than friendship.

"Well maybe I feel generous today, I'll let you go home for a couple of days at least to re-supply and tell your family about defeating Naraku, but I'm going with you just to make sure you don't stay to long." He said trying to look as gruff and annoyed as possible but it was hard to hide his joy of getting to spend some quality time with Kagome.

"Really?! Thank you Inuyasha I can finally tell my mom not to worry so much now that Naraku is gone." She said, relieved that he didn't want to argue about letting her go. She was also happy because now that Naraku is no more she could start working on improving her and Inuyasha's relationship. She hoped that he felt the same as she did and that this next visit to her time was going to be a time to remember.

Sango looked over at Miroku and blushed slightly when he bent over to retrieve the pot filled with water that Shippou was having trouble carrying. They both knew what they felt for each other since they were to be married now with no more Naraku to worry about. She had been thinking just as he likely had about what would be coming next. A house, some children. She just wished that Kohaku could be with them to live out his life but he didn't last long once Naraku stole his jewel shard. They had come upon him while searching for shards. Naraku had decided his usefulness had come to an end and taken his shard. He was now buried with the rest of her people in the exterminator village. She missed him greatly, but her soon to be husband had helped to heal the wounds of her heart. She looked over at him again this time catching him smiling at her. She returned the smile and walked over to help him put the meal together.

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Ah my Sango I cant wait to be yours, Miroku thought as she helped him with the food.

He had been overjoyed with the defeat of Naraku and the end of his cursed wind tunnel. Now he could fulfill his promise to marry Sango. The only thing that stands in his way is the shikon jewel. They had nearly all of it in their possession with the exception of a few little pieces and the fragments in Kouga's legs. They had decided to hold off wedding plans until after the jewel was complete. He looked down at her with determination.__

I'm going to get the rest of the jewel together if I have to pull the shards from Kouga's legs myself.

A/N: Well this is the first redone chapter of my story. I have several more chapters that I have to edit and revise. If you have already read the older version on my story or if haven't please leave me a comment letting me know what you think. If you have never read this story before I have ten chapters completed including this one. They will be posted as soon as I get them edited. To anyone that has already read my previous ten chapters I will be posting completely new chapters as soon as possible after the original ten are reposted. Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed reading this, and thanks for any comments.


	2. Chapter 2

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Disclaimer: The Inuyasha story does not belong to me but to Rumiko Takahashi and I thank her for bringing it to us.

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Chapter Two: Deeper troubles

It was a relatively warm day, unusual for late November, but enjoyed none the less. The group was headed back to the village to give Kaede the good news about Naraku's defeat. Not having to worry about his trickery made the trip much more enjoyable. They could afford to slow down a little and enjoy the weather. Shippou was chasing after a small butterfly while the rest of them watched amused at his antics. Even Inuyasha, with his usual foul moods and temper, seemed to be calm today. He had been thinking a lot lately and had realized many things. The one that most pleased him was that he was finally able to admit to himself that he loved Kagome. Whenever they were apart he felt alone and miserable, and he believes that she returns his feelings. Another thing he had come to realize, with the help of Kagome, was that he wasn't as alone and despised as he had once thought. These people that had been with him for so long now, Miroku, Sango, Shippou, and even Kaede. They all are like his family…they are his family.

He had it all planed out, he was going to get Kagome, settle down in the village and protect his home and family until the end of his days… perfect. Nothing would go wrong. He would make sure of it, or at least so he thought…

"Inuyasha you look like your thinking of something nice, care to share?" Miroku asked, bringing Inuyasha out of his own little world with a start.

"Its none of your business monk! He snapped at Miroku for bringing him back to reality. He had been thinking of Kagome again, thinking of sharing a life with her. He hated being interrupted when thinking about her.

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hmm, Inuyasha may have changed a great deal since I first met him but he is still as rude and ill tempered as ever.

"Really Inuyasha, no need to be testy I just wanted to suggest stopping here for the night. I know this area and there are two wonderful hot springs nearby. One for us, and one for the girls." Miroku hoped to sound neutral as he thought about his Sango bathing. The very idea making his once cursed hand twitch with delight. Inuyasha preferred not to stop until it was absolutely necessary, but one hopeful look from Kagome and he gave in.

"All right, we're not really in a big hurry. I suppose it will be ok, this time." He looked over and saw Kagome's smile and was glad he had decided to say yes.

After camp was made and everyone had eaten Kagome and Sango decided it was time to visit the hot spring.

"Come on Sango lets go!" Kagome chirped happily, "Shippou will you stay and watch the boys for us to make sure they don't peek?"

"Sure Kagome, I'll watched them like a hawk," he said puffing out his chest trying to look tough.

"Hey what do you mean 'the boys'? I'm not a letch like the stupid monk!" Inuyasha said, not liking being put in the same category as the perverted priest. Meanwhile the monk in question protested innocence.

"Inuyasha I am a man of the cloth, I would never behave in such a way. Do you not know it was my curse that made my hand wander?" Miroku said, trying to look innocent and failing.

"Yeah I believe that," Inuyasha snorted.

He had been so busy listening to the monk's ramblings that he didn't notice that the girls were leaving until Kagome yelled, "See you later, remember no peeking!"

Inuyasha yelling, "I'm not a pervert," was the last thing she heard as they walked through the forest.

Inuyasha sighed as he slowly lowered himself into the hot spring along with Shippou, and Miroku. He could feel the warm water relaxing his ever tense muscles. The spring felt great, better then it ever has. Ever since they destroyed Naraku everything seemed to be better. They never really understood until after it was all over, how much of an affect his presence had on their daily lives.

It was pretty peaceful in the hot spring. Shippou's splashing around in the water was the only disturbance. Inuyasha and Miroku were both thinking about the girls bathing, somewhere nearby. They both bathed in silence until Miroku decided to ask a question that has been bothering him for quite some time.

"Inuyasha what do you plan on doing with the jewel after it is completed?"

Inuyasha hadn't really thought about it and decided to go with an honest answer.

" I don't know. You have any ideas?"

"I'm not sure but I think you should talk to Kagome about it. She has carried the burden of the jewel all this time and I think she deserves to take part in deciding on what to do with it."

"Yeah your probably right. At least we have a while to think about it, with some jewel shards left to find…"

"So Kagome… how are you and Inuyasha getting along?" Sango asked curiously.

It sounded like a general question but Kagome knew what she was getting at. She wanted to know about the status of the relationship between herself and Inuyasha.

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Well if she wants answers she is going to have to work for them.

" I don't know, I think things are going pretty well. He was nice enough to let me go home for a little while without much trouble."

"Oh Kagome you know that's not what I'm talking about. I want to know has he finally admitted his feelings for you?" Kagome had to think for a minute on how to answer her question.

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On the one hand he has shown some feelings for me in his actions lately. He has been really nice to me and twice as mean to anyone that displeased me. He has also gotten into the habit of waiting until everyone is asleep before jumping down from whatever tree he had been in scooping me up and taking me back up in the tree to hold me until I fall asleep in his arms, but he has never **said** anything to me.

Often no words are spoken in the time spent at night in the tree with him. Not that she didn't wish that there would be. She defiantly wanted to say to anyone that asked that she and Inuyasha were together.

" He hasn't said anything," Kagome said as neutraly as possible.

"Well maybe he is waiting until he can get you alone in your time. You know he is very bad about being emotional in front of an audience," Sango stated.

"Yeah your right about that, he acts so different around other people, but you have to remember we are the first people that he has trusted besides his mother," Kagome said sadly.

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I'll show him that its ok to trust.

" So Sango are you still glad you accepted Miroku's proposal?" Kagome asked, trying to take the conversation in another direction.

" I am very glad, but I'm also so nervous. Is that normal?" Sango asked hoping that Kagome would be able to answer. She had always been more knowledgeable when it came to stuff like that.

" Oh yes Sango, its very natural. Its just some pre-wedding jitters," Kagome assured her with a smile.

" Jitters?" Sango asked looking confused.

" Uh…never mind, just trust me its normal. So where are you guys going to live after the wedding?"

" Well I think we're going to settle on the edge of Kaede's village. Neither one of us have anywhere else to go and we can stay close to you and the others."

" That's great Sango, I was hoping you would say that. You should build a house right on the….."

Sango had been listening intently and was now very confused at Kagome's sudden silence.

" Kagome what's wrong, are you ok?" Sango asked looking up to see Kagome with a nervous look on her face.

" Sango we company coming, fast," Kagome said looking off into the forest. Sango had a pretty good idea of who it was and if she was right then this wasn't going to be pretty. Before either girl saw what was happening Kagome was out of the water standing on the shore with both hands cupped in the hands of the wolf demon prince Kouga.

" EEEK!! Kouga let me go, I don't have any clothes on!" Kagome said, struggling to get out of his grasp and failing.

" Leave them they smell like stinking dog-boy, and you cant be smelling like that if your coming with me to be my woman."

Kagome realized what he had said and froze. He was coming to get her now that Naraku was gone. Now that she realized what his intentions were she went from just freaked out to freaked out and angry.

" I'm sorry Kouga but I'm not going with you and I'm not your women! So you can just give us the jewel shards, turn around and leave!" She said angrily.

" Humph, stupid dog has brainwashed you. You're **_my_** woman and your coming with me back to the Northern caves!" Somewhere in all the commotion Sango had managed to slip out of the water and get her clothes back on. Now that she heard Kouga say that he was planning on taking Kagome away it was time to take action. She was glad she had brought her slayer weapons with her just in case something had come after Kagome for the nearly complete jewel.

" Let her go and leave Kouga!" Sango yelled brandishing hiraikotsu towards him. He didn't seem to threatened by the large weapon.

" You cant hit me with that thing its to slow, and I know you wouldn't endanger Kagome like that. Now return to your little group and let me have what I came for. I don't want to fight you for her but I will."

Sango pulled hiraikotsu in front of her getting ready to fight him if she needed to but it wasn't necessary as right as he looked ready to attack her a flash of red and silver flew from the forest and pinned Kouga to a tree by his throat.

Inuyasha was seething, his eyes flashing between red and white, a vicious snarl on his face.

" What do you think your doing you stupid wolf! I should kill you here and now for even looking at Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled.

Kouga was shocked that he hadn't seen him coming but more shocked at Inuyasha's strength at the moment. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't get out of the half demons grasp. The iron grip around his neck was near suffocating. He was actually surprised to still be alive. With Kouga's hold on her gone Kagome quickly went and pulled her clothes on before looking over at the two demons again.

She watched in horror as, even with the tetsusaiga, Inuyasha fought for control of his demon blood.

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He's going to kill Kouga I just know it, but then what? He doesn't know who he is. He might attack one of us as well.

Miroku must have been thinking the same thing because he moved over in front of Kagome.

" Sango we must protect Kagome. If Inuyasha looses control he wont be able to tell friend from enemy." Sango nodded and moved beside Miroku. Shippou then arrived with Kirara.

" Kagome are you all right!?" Shippou yelled jumping into her arms as Kirara moved to defend them with Miroku and Sango. Inuyasha was still fighting his demon urges. His hold on Kouga's neck getting tighter and tighter. It looked like he was trying to say something.

" ….Kagome, ahh!, Kagome get the jewel shards…. I cant touch them or my demon side will take over!" Inuyasha yelled through ragged breaths. Kagome started towards them to do as she was told when Miroku's hand on her shoulder stopped her.

" Kagome its very dangerous, are you sure?" She looked at him with a serious expression. " I know Miroku, but I have to. I'm the only one that can see them and Inuyasha needs me." Miroku lifted his hand and Kagome ran forward.

She reached around a still struggling Inuyasha to grab the two shards in Kouga's legs. As soon as the shards were gone and Kagome was out of the way Inuyasha flung Kouga into a near by tree sending both Kouga and the tree smashing to the ground. Inuyasha was almost completely under the control of his demon at this point and he jumped on top of Kouga snarling.

" YOU THREATEN MATE! MUST PROTECT MATE!" Inuyasha raised his claws to finish Kouga off when he suddenly stopped. His eyes flashed momentarily back to white as he turned and looked at Kagome.

" Kagome subdue me please! I cant hold it back anymore!" Right as he said it the demon in him won and his eyes turned completely red, his claws and fangs grew longer and the red strips appeared on his cheeks. In the brief moment before Inuyasha changed Kouga had managed to kick him off and jump out of his grasp, but unfortunately not out of his reach. Without the jewel shards he wasn't fast enough to get away. Inuyasha shot forward as Kagome screamed, " SIIIT!!"

The rosary pulled at him but not before his claws went through Kouga's chest. The subduing spell had managed to move the attack off target and luckily it missed his heart. Kouga fell to his knees as Inuyasha pulled out his claws to get ready for the next attack. "SIT!SIT!SIT!SIT!SIIIIT!" Kagome screamed again as she saw what he was about to do. The beads pulsed again as they dragged the demon to the ground. With one last large pull the beads slammed him into the ground creating a very large crater and sending the now unconscious Kouga flying back.

When the dust settled, they could see Inuyasha lying in the crater unconscious and back to his regular self. Everyone ran over to him. Kagome reached him first and leaned down to check for a pulse. When Kagome said that he was still alive they all let out a breath of relief. She looked over at Kouga then turned to Miroku.

" Miroku, go take Kouga away from here and treat his wounds after your sure he will be ok. I think it would be a good idea to wash before you come back to keep from bringing the scent of his blood back around Inuyasha. I'm going to use Kirara to move him away from where they were fighting. Sango, you and Shippou go with him and take my first aid kit. I don't think Inuyasha needs it."

They all nodded and went over to examine Kouga. After a few moments Miroku stood and went over to Kagome.

" There are two caves near here, they both have a river besides them and they are far enough apart to fit our needs. Head north and you will find it, we will go south. Kouga's wounds are bad. I'm sure he will live, but we will have to remain with him through the night I'm afraid. Will you be alright Kagome?"

" Yes I'll be fine. Kirara will keep me safe until Inuyasha is better."

By the time Miroku had made his way back to Kouga he had already been put on the back of Shippou transformed into a large bird. Kagome watched them fly over the trees before she turned back to Inuyasha. He appeared to be uninjured, just in a deep sleep.

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Fighting his inner demon must take a lot out of him, she thought.

Kagome nodded towards Kirara and the fire cat stepped forward and lowered herself to the ground to make it easier for Kagome to lift Inuyasha onto her back. It took a bit of effort but Kagome managed to get him onto Kirara's back without disturbing him. Once she heard him mumble her name in his sleep as Kirara lifted off the ground.

After about twenty minutes of searching they found the river and the cave near to it. It had a small opening about five feet tall and six feet wide. It gradually got bigger as it went back, with the back of the cave being about fifteen feet from the entrance and a circular cavern at the back like a small room. The room like space was large enough to hold several people comfortably.

After Kagome had gotten Inuyasha into her sleeping bag in the back of the cave she reached into her bag, and pulled out some matches to start a fire. After the fire was going strong Kirara left the cave. Kagome wondered where she was going but didn't worry about it because she knew Kirara would stay close enough to keep them safe.

Inuyasha was moving around in the sleeping bag as if he was having a bad dream. Kagome had a small cloth and started washing the sweat off his brow. When Kagome finished with the cloth she sat back to wait for him to wake up. He was still moving uncomfortably until she reached out to move some hair out of his face. He stopped moving when she touched him and soon opened his eyes and slowly looked up at her.

"…Kagome, what happened? Everything is a blur." Inuyasha said weakly.

" Shh, don't worry about it right now. Everything's ok, everyone is fine. Just lay back down and get some rest."

Inuyasha did as he was told because he really did feel like he needed rest.

" I transformed didn't I?" He asked looking ashamed, and worried.

" Yes you did, when Kouga came to try and take me away with him." At hearing Kouga's name Inuyasha sat up suddenly.

" Where is he? I'll kill him!" Kagome put her hand on his chest and pushed him until he was laying down again. The fact that she could push him at all was proof enough of how tired he was.

" Inuyasha calm down, Kouga is very far away and cant hurt anyone right now."

Kagome blushed lightly as she realized she still had her hands on his muscular chest and quickly pulled them away.

" What do you mean cant hurt anyone right now? Did I do something to him while I was transformed?"

Kagome took in a deep breath before she told him all that happened. In the end it frightened him greatly that he had completely transformed even with tetsusaiga, but he was glad he hadn't hurt any of his friends, or Kagome.

They sat in silence for a few minutes while Inuyasha thought about what she had just told him. He was brought out of his thoughts when she asked him a question.

" Inuyasha, when you first attacked Kouga and pinned him to the tree you said he threatened your mate and that you had to protect your mate. What did that mean?" Inuyasha looked shocked for a second and then really embarrassed.

" Oh yeah that, I don't know probably just some demon babblings," he lied. She didn't really believe him but nodded anyway. She knew he didn't want to talk about it.

Just then Kirara walked back into the cave and dropped three fish onto the cave floor.

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So that's where she went. Kagome thought with a smile and petted Kirara as thanks for the food. After the fish had been cooked and eaten Inuyasha watched Kagome lean against the wall like she was planning on sleeping there. That's when he realized he was in her sleeping bag. He couldn't let Kagome sleep like that He would feel horrible, but he could barely move. When an the solution came to him he had trouble hiding his grin.

" Uh, Kagome."

She looked up at him and smiled.

" Yes Inuyasha?"

" Will you lay down with me for a little while? I think it would help me sleep."

Even if she had wanted to she couldn't have refused his hopeful gaze.

" Sure, but how will that help you sleep?" Inuyasha blushed and looked away.

" Your scent, it calms me. It makes me able to have a truly peaceful sleep."

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You idiot you told her way to much, she's going to think your just sniffing around her like a dog. Now she defiantly wont lay down with me.

His thoughts were stopped abruptly as Kagome positioned herself beside him. He was relieved she had not wanted to make a big deal out of it. With a content sigh he put his arm around her protectively and pulled her close before whispering, " Thank you, good night Kagome," as he fell into a quiet sleep.

With both Kagome and Inuyasha sound asleep Kirara moved up to the mouth of the cave and laid down at the entrance to wait for the rest of the group.

A/N: Thank goodness… I'm finnaly done with this revised second chapter. As I go over more and more of this story I realized how many mistakes I made. When I edited my story on paper the pages bled. I'm so sorry to anyone who had to read the older version of my story with all the mistakes. It also makes me feel good about my writing when I know that so many people really enjoyed my story even with all the grammar problems. Anyway, thanks for reading I hoped you enjoyed it. Please leave me a comment to help me improve my writing and the story. As always, if you have an idea that you think would add a nice flare to this story please let me know. I have a main idea for the story but there is a lot of room for change based on what the readers want.


	3. Chapter 3

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Disclaimer: The Inuyasha story does not belong to me but to Rumiko Takahashi and I thank her for bringing it to us.

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Chapter Three: The Promise

Kirara tensed and sniffed the air when she heard noises coming towards the cave. She relaxed when she realized that it was the others returning from treating Kouga's wounds. Inuyasha, now well rested, came up beside her and scratched her head for doing such a good job of guarding Kagome while he couldn't. He was fully awake now, having smelled the others coming even before Kirara had. He hadn't wanted to get up, he had woken up next to Kagome in her sleeping bag and now wished to wake up beside her everyday until he died, but he knew he would never hear the end of it from the stupid monk if he caught them like that.

There was a rustle in some nearby bushes and Miroku stepped out, followed by Sango and Shippou.

Inuyasha was happy to see them, he knew he hadn't hurt them while he was transformed but he wanted to see with his own eyes that they were ok.

" Inuyasha its good to see your ok. Where is Kagome?" Miroku said, with relief clearly visible on his face.

" I'm here, how did everything go with Kouga?" Kagome said, as she stepped out of the cave to stand beside Inuyasha. The half-demon winced at hearing the wolfs name but listened to what Miroku had to say anyway.

" Well he is going to live, his wound is near healed. It is a good thing that he is a full demon or the wound would have been fatal. We left him in the care of Hikaku and Ginta when they found us this morning while searching for Kouga. Now it is time I think we head back to the village, we have lost a whole day so we should hurry."

No one said anything else about Kouga as they headed back to the village…

With everything that had happened they all felt compelled to get back to the comfort of home. The all longed for the familiar hut and the warm food that Kaede likely had prepared. They traveled at a much faster pace with Kagome on Inuyasha's back as he jumped from one treetop to another while Kirara flew above him. The village was in sight by the end of the day.

They all walked into Kaede's hut and began telling her about defeating Naraku and then about the incident on the way back.

" Kaede there was this huge demon that attacked us during the battle with Naraku, and I killed it with my foxfire!" Shippou exclaimed proudly.

The way he explained the fight it sounded like he had taken down Naraku and his demons all by himself. In reality he had waited a good deal away from the battle with Kagome. Ready to fly her out of the area if he needed to, when one of Naraku's lesser demons snuck around and attacked. Shippou had used his foxfire on him and the demon burst into dust. What he never noticed was the sacred sutra lying next to the pile of dust.

Kaede caught Miroku's wink and chuckled. Patting Shippou on the head and congratulating him for his bravery. After he described every detail of the battle Shippou decided to go play with some of the village kids outside. When Shippou left the hut Kaede's face grew serious.

" It is very good that ye defeated Naraku, but even after his death his influence still brings evil to these lands. With Naraku gone many lesser demons that were afraid of being absorbed into Naraku are now reeking havoc. That is also not the worst news I'm afraid, because of all the increased attacks many of the larger villages are seeking the all out extermination demons and any who associate with them."

" Inuyasha you know this means we must be extremely careful the next time

we go looking for shards." Miroku said, before taking a long sip of tea.

" Yeah I know, but it couldn't be that different could it? Nearly everywhere we go people have a problem with demons." Inuyasha stated tightening his hold on tetsusaiga.

" Yes that's true, but we also need to make sure that Kagome is never alone with the jewel if there are so many weak demons seeking its power now that Naraku is out of the way."

Everyone nodded in agreement before hearing a loud scream from outside the hut. They all ran to see what was going on.

" Gah! A demon, get away from my son you evil creature! A man yelled down at Shippou before kicking him hard in stomach to get him away from the crying boy he had by the arm.

Shippou fell over holding his stomach. One of the village men stepped out between Shippou and man that attacked him.

" What is the meaning of this, why did you attack an innocent boy?" The man said angrily at the stranger.

" Innocent boy? He is a demon! Do you not see his tail, ears, and paws?!" The stranger yelled back in his defense.

Kagome recognized the man standing in between Shippou and the stranger. He was a local farmer named Jiro.

"This boy is a companion of this village's great protector Inuyasha, and because of that he is under our protection. Now leave and do not return, or you will meet the wrath of this village and its Demon protector! Jiro yelled back at the stranger.

The man looked stunned. " Fine… I will leave you and your demon filth. You should get rid of them before they slay you all."

The man turned and stomped away with the still sniffling boy in toe. Miroku helped Shippou up as Kagome checked to make sure he was alright. When she was sure he was ok she stood and went over to Jiro.

" Thank you for doing that. Who was that man and what happened here?"

Jiro smiled at her and bowed respectfully.

" Lady Kagome I was more than obliged to help. After Inuyasha stopped the raging boar demons that were destroying my crops on the edge of the village I owe him everything. The man that attacked Shippou is a trader from the east where they have had many demon troubles. They all despise demons, and when he saw Shippou playing with his son, he attacked. I'm sorry I couldn't have stopped him sooner." Jiro bowed again before heading back to his farm.

The crowd around Shippou and the others quickly dispersed and they brought him back to Kaede's hut for supper. He still looked shaken up about what had happened.

Kagome reached into her bag and got out a large candy bar. Shippou brightened up immediately after eating it. The chocolaty goodness being one of his greatest pick-me-ups.

"Kagome will you bring me lots of candy when you come back? It will make my stomach feel much better." Shippou looked up at her with big, hopeful eyes.

She knew he was just playing off the injury as an excuse to get more candy but she couldn't refuse. He was just so pathetically cute. She didn't understand how anyone could ever be mean to him.

" Yes Shippou… I'll bring you more candy than you'll know what to do with." She smiled down at the kit now sitting comfortably in her lap.

After a while everyone settled down for bed. Sango and Miroku slept close to each other but not to close since they were still not married. Shippou curled up with Kirara next to Kaede and the fire.

Kagome had a small hope that Inuyasha would come lay down beside her, but her hope vanished when he slipped from the hut. She wondered where he had gone but decided not to worry about it at she fell asleep.

Inuyasha raced through the forest, his pace much faster without the others with him. He was going to a place that no one knew about. It was the place that his mother had shown him right before she died. He had gone there to hide once right after she was killed because it smelled like her, but he couldn't stay there after demons started sniffing around. He had only been there once after that, when he was older, to check up on it.

It had been undisturbed, and since he wanted to keep it that way he moved a large boulder to block the entrance. His mother told him this was a special place that she had put some things for him if anything ever happened to her. He slowed as he reached a small pool surrounded by large flat boulders. Over the pool was a small cliff with a waterfall pouring water into the pool. It was a very nice place and pretty well hidden. The pool itself is a hot spring but the water that pours into it is cool so the area is covered in a light mist. Up on the cliff was another pool that the cool water came from. It was fed by a small stream with large white flowers all around it. Inuyasha walked down through the mist and along a ridge going behind the water fall. Behind the curtain of water was a large space and at one end was the boulder he had placed in front of the cave.

He moved the boulder and stepped in, he knew if it wasn't for his half-demon eyesight that it would be pitch dark. He looked around, everything was still the same. Some chests over against the wall, a small nook for a fire, and a large place in the middle with pallets for sleeping.

On top of one of the chests was a sealed scroll that his mother had pointed out to him once. She had made him promise that he would not open it unless he had someone that he would love with all his heart and that he wanted to take as his mate. He had always thought that he would never need it, that he would never have someone like that, but he prayed that Kagome would be that one.

He picked up the scroll and opened it, as he did something fell out into his hand. When he looked more closely at it he realized it was a necklace with a round polished white stone. In the middle of it was the symbol for beloved. He looked back at the scroll.

__

I wonder what it says.

My dear Inuyasha, I am so happy that you have found someone to share your life with. Before he died your father told me to make sure that you had a way to find out the meaning and tradition of taking a mate to the dog demons. This person must be the most important thing in the world to you, and you must protect her with your life. When you mate it will be for life. If either of you leave then the other will die. I managed to stay alive after your father because of you, if we had not had a child I would have followed him soon after. The necklace that was in this scroll is made of a demon jewel and it will make the lifespan of your mate the same as yours should you choose a human. You must present her with it and if she accepts then you claim her. In human terms the mating ritual is like marriage. Keep this in mind when explaining it to your beloved. First though you must take the stone, hold it tightly in your hand and say the name of your beloved. Now go and be with the one you love Inuyasha. I hope you have a long happy life, I love you my child.

He couldn't believe it. This necklace would make Kagome's life as long as his. He had always tried not to think about it to much. That she would grow old and die long before he did, but this stone meant that they would have several hundreds of years together.

Inuyasha did as he was told and took the stone in his hand, griped it and whispered, "Kagome".

When he said it the jewel pulsed and seemed to pull some of his aura into it. It now had beautiful reddish glow to it.

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Ok now I just have to give this to Kagome. Wish me luck mother. He thought as he griped the stone even tighter.

He then slipped from the cave, moved the boulder back and sped off back to the village.

Inuyasha and Kagome said their goodbyes to the others before Inuyasha picked her up and jumped into the well. The last thing they heard was Shippou telling Kagome not to forget his candy. When the time slip took them Inuyasha drew in a deep breath.

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This is it. I am going to tell her how I feel no matter what. He thought nervously.

When they reached the other side Inuyasha jumped out of the well before setting her down. Souta saw them come out of the well house and ran over to greet them.

" Kagome your finally back and you brought Inuyasha!" Souta beamed at Inuyasha.

He thought Inuyasha was the coolest thing to ever walk the earth. Inuyasha thought the hero worship was pretty nice in his opinion.

" Yes we're back for a little while. Now where is mama? I have some great news I have to tell her."

Souta looked over at the house before replying, " She's in the kitchen making lunch I think."

Souta went on playing with his soccer ball like he had been before they arrived.

Kagome grabbed Inuyasha's hand and led him towards the house. Kagome's grandfather walked out of the house and saw them holding hands. He ran over to them.

" Release my granddaughter and be gone evil demon!" He reached inside his robe and pulled out a sutra and stuck it to Inuyasha's forehead.

As always, the old man's spiritual abilities are nonexistent so Inuyasha just looked annoyed as he pulled the paper from his forehead. He crushed it in his hand before throwing it back at the old man.

" You cant hurt me you crazy old man. You have no power, now leave me alone!"

Kagome's grandpa still looked stunned that his spell hadn't worked. Not having heard the thing Inuyasha said about not having any power, he decided to make a hasty exit.

" How could you break my spell demon, take this!" He yelled, before slapping a sutra over Inuyasha's mouth and disappearing around the corner yelling something about tending the shrine.

Inuyasha ripped off the sutra and started to go after him when Kagome's hand stopped him.

" Leave him alone Inuyasha, you know he is just playing." She smiled at him and all of his annoyance disappeared in an instant.

They walked into the house and on into the kitchen to find Mrs. Higurashi fixing lunch.

" I'm home mama, and I have great news. We did it. We defeated Naraku!" Mrs. Higurashi was glad to see her daughter home safe again. She went over and hugged her.

" That's wonderful dear, I should fix a special supper to celebrate."

" That would be great mama, I know Inuyasha will love it." She replied, winking at him.

During lunch Kagome went through the story of the last battle with Naraku and the how the jewel was nearly complete. Her mother listened intently until she heard the phone ring. When she came back a few moments later she looked a little worried.

" I'm sorry Kagome, but I'm afraid I cant make that special supper for you and Inuyasha today. That call just now was from my good friend Mrs. Satsuma's husband. She is going into early labor and I promised her that your grandfather, Souta and I would be there for her, so we our going to have to leave for Chiba as soon as possible."

Kagome and her mother quickly got up and went around the house informing Souta, and the old man of the news. They also quickly got everyone packed and ready to go.

Kagome stood out by the street with her family while the were waiting for a taxi, with Inuyasha waiting back at the house.

" I'm so sorry dear to have to leave on such short notice, especially since you had such wonderful news." Mrs. Higurashi said, giving her daughter a hug as the taxi pulled up.

" Its ok mama, Mrs. Satsuma needs you guys. Tell her I send my good wishes." She gave her mother a kiss on the cheek as they climbed in to the car.

As the car disappeared around the corner Kagome turned and walked back up the steps to her house. Inuyasha was sitting in goshinboku, looking over the Tokyo skyline. When he noticed she was there he jumped down, picked her up, and hopped back up into one of the highest branches.

" So how long are they going to be gone?" Inuyasha said, tightening his hold on her as she looked down.

" I'm not sure, she said that Mrs. Satsuma went into early labor and they would be there for at least a few days." Inuyasha nodded to show that he understood.

" I guess that means we should head back through the well now." Kagome said lazily as she leaned back against Inuyasha's chest.

" Well we don't have to leave right away, there is nothing major going on. We can stay for a couple of days if you want."

Kagome was amazed, not only had he decided to let her come in the first place but now he was going to let her stay just for the heck of it.

" Thank you Inuyasha, I was hoping to get a nice bath while I was here. Do you want some ramen?" He perked up at the mention of ramen.

" I'll take that as a yes." Kagome said with a light giggle.

" We have to go to the store first, to get the ramen and Shippou's candy. I also need to re-supply my first aid kit." Inuyasha nodded again before jumping down with her. Once they were back on the ground Kagome led him to the house and into a bedroom he had never been in before.

" What is this room Kagome?" Inuyasha said, looking around to see boxes everywhere.

Kagome didn't seem to hear him as she started digging through one of the boxes. She looked back at him for a moment, eyeing him up and down, before turning back to the box.

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Hmm... Inuyasha cant keep walking around in my time dressed in feudal clothes. I hope some of my fathers old clothes will fit him.

Kagome picked up a pink polo shirt and stifled a giggle.

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No, Inuyasha would never wear anything pink. He needs something…red. She stopped searching when she found a red t-shirt, and some blue jeans. She realized that he couldn't go without tetsusaiga so she also grabbed a long black coat. The weather was getting much cooler so it would not look out of place. She also grabbed some sandals. She figured that was the closest thing to shoes she would ever get him to wear. When she had everything she handed it to him.

" Here Inuyasha, change into these." Inuyasha took the clothes, looked at them and shot her an irritated look.

" I cant wear these weird things, why cant I wear my normal clothes?" Inuyasha said, holding up the jeans.

Kagome let out an exasperated sign before replying,

" Inuyasha people don't dress like that anymore, you'll attract to much attention. You know that people in this time think demons are nothing but a myth."

Inuyasha looked like he was ready to argue some more, but then decided not to.

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Calm down stupid, you cant very well ask her to be your mate tonight if she is mad at you. Wearing some strange clothes for a little while is more than worth it to get Kagome. He reminded himself.

He moved his hand over the pocket he had the necklace hidden away in to make sure it was still there.

It pulsed under his hand, and seemed to be drawn to Kagome.

" Keh, ok I'll wear them if I have to…"

Kagome smiled before walking out of the room. After several minutes and a lot of cursing from Inuyasha's side of the door he emerged in the new clothes. When Kagome turned around her jaw hit the floor, she couldn't believe it, he looked so different.

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Wow he looks…amazing. I need to get him in future clothes more often.

Kagome looked down and was surprised to see that he had even put the sandals on.

As much as he tried not to show it, he was irritated with the foreign clothing and the irritation seeped into his voice.

" What are you staring at?"

When Kagome realized she had been staring at him she blushed and quickly turned away. She missed the condescending smirk that crossed his features. He was no fool, he knew what that blush meant, she was staring at him. He quickly trained his features back to his normal scowl.

" Well can we go get some ramen now, or do I have to put on more clothes?" Inuyasha said, making his way towards her.

She dropped her head in defeat. _ He's never going to start wearing normal clothes… Oh well a girl can dream._

As they made their way out of the house Kagome stopped in Souta's room and grabbed a baseball cap. She handed it to him as they continued on. He took the hat and placed it on his head without argument. This was a piece of clothing he was familiar with. Having to wear one every time he left the shrine with her. He grew slightly irritated when he tried to move his ears under the restricting hat. They made their way down several blocks into Tokyo, stopping every now and then because Inuyasha would have sneezing fits.

" Achoo!!…Kagome how can you stand this place? It stinks so bad and…Achoo!! All those large machines are spitting poison gas."

Kagome knew he was referring to the exhaust on the cars but she didn't feel like explaining the internal combustion engine to him at the moment.

" Come on Inuyasha, the store will have something to help your sneezing." She led him around some more large buildings until they reached a market. Inuyasha was still sometimes amazed at the size of the city, and at how far humans have advanced in five hundred years. After purchasing what Kagome thought was way to much ramen, some candy and crayons for Shippou, as well as the first aid supplies they headed back to the shrine. They also got some allergy medicine for Inuyasha and it worked amazingly well. Apparently being a half-demon made the medicine start working much sooner than normal. He had wanted so much ramen she made him carry all of it himself. Inuyasha's selection had included 10 boxes of chicken, beef, and assorted.

When they made it back to the house Kagome excused herself for a bit to go take a bath. While she bathed Inuyasha went and sat down on the couch in the living room and thought over his next moves for getting Kagome carefully. He had been so lost in thought that when she touched his shoulder he jumped to his feet in surprise.

" Oh…Kagome its just you," he stuttered as she giggled at the look on his face.

He looked outside before looking back at her again.

" Hey Kagome, do you want to go watch the sunset?"

She was a little surprised at the romantic suggestion, but smiled and nodded. He took her hand and led her out into the shrine grounds before pulling her to him and jumping into Goshinboku. They watched as the sun went down and enjoyed each others company in silence. They were both amazed, and watched the view in awe.

For some reason they felt like this sunset was the most beautiful one either had ever seen. Inuyasha knew tonight was the night, this amazing sunset was a sign that he was meant to ask Kagome to be his mate, right here and right now.

Several minutes after the last ray of sunlight disappeared over the horizon Kagome yawned and stretched back against Inuyasha.

" Its getting late, I guess we should go back inside and go to bed…"

Inuyasha didn't say anything as he dropped back to the ground with her. As she started to head back to the house Inuyasha stopped her.

" Kagome wait I…" Inuyasha looked away as she turned around, but he strengthened his resolve before stepping less than a breath away from her.

" Kagome…" He whispered, slowly getting closer and closer. Their lips almost touching.

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Oh my gosh, is he going to…

Her train of thought was cut off the instant his lips made contact with hers. It was a chaste kiss, but there was so much emotion in it that Kagome's knees began to wobble.

Inuyasha was there to catch her when her knees finally gave out. He put his arms around her waist and pulled back enough to look her in the eyes.

" Kagome… you have stayed with me all this time, and you have made me the luckiest man alive because of it. You accepted me when no one else would, and showed me what it meant to have friends. You told me once before that you would stay by my side and you have. Now I want to ask you to stay by my side forever and become my mate and my wife." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the necklace.

When she saw the stone and realized what he had just asked her she instantly rapped her arms around him and started crying.

" Yes, I will forever." She said with a brilliant smile and tear soaked face.

When he realized she had accepted he pulled her close to him and kissed her again. This time the kiss was a promise off passion and love to come.

She was amazed when he presented the necklace to her. It was the most beautiful piece of jewelry she had ever laid her eyes on, and it seemed to sparkle with a glow that reminded her of Inuyasha.

" If you accept this necklace then we can be together forever, and you will live as long as me."

She smiled and kissed him again before putting the necklace on. When it made contact with her it pulsed again before taking on a new glow. The new glow was a mix of Inuyasha's blood red aura and Kagome's light pink aura. " Inuyasha I'm so happy, thank you."

He drew her in for another kiss before jumping back into Goshinboku. He had changed back into his normal clothes during Kagome's bath and he pulled her close to him and covered her with the large sleeves. The natural warmth of the fire rat kimono had almost lulled her to sleep when Inuyasha whispered her name.

" Hmm…what is it Inuyasha?" She asked, snuggling as far into him as she could go.

" Do you think we should wait until after the jewel is complete to get married?"

Kagome sighed and turned to look at him, she wasn't going to like her own reply but she knew it was for the best.

" I think that would be the smartest thing to do." She grasped his hand before leaning back against him again.

" I will always be there for you no matter what." She said, sighing contently before falling asleep in his arms. He followed her into a peaceful sleep soon after.

A/N: Well I'm finnaly settling in to about one revised chapter a day. So I should have the entire story back to its former glory in about a week. After that I will work really hard to get new chapters up. When I first wrote this chapter I tried really hard to make the proposal perfect. So please leave me a comment to let me know what you think. Also, I love getting comments of all kinds, but I would be very grateful for reviews that really breakdown your opinion of the story, the good and the bad. If you just want to leave me a quick little comment about what you thought, that's fine too. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed.


	4. Chapter 4

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Disclaimer: The Inuyasha story does not belong to me but to Rumiko Takahashi and I thank her for bringing it to us.

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Chapter Four: New Arrivals

Multitudes of colored leaves danced around the yard as the first chilled breeze of Autumn blew through the space between the shrine and the well house. All the expected colors were in the mix. Including what Kagome dubbed, " Inuyasha red."

She laughed as he picked some leaves out of his long, flowing hair as they walked to the well.

Inuyasha picked Kagome up bridal style as he prepared to jump into the well. She smiled up at him and he smiled back before giving her a light kiss. Without breaking the kiss he jumped in and they were enveloped by the familiar blue light.

Kagome made sure she had a tight hold on Inuyasha as he jumped straight up, clearing the side of the well completely. It wasn't really necessary for her to hold on so tight. He had a hold of her and would never let her fall.

They walked together, hand in hand, into Kaede's hut. Sango and Miroku were talking quietly in the corner. Shippou and Kirara watched as Kaede added herbs to a pot with a bubbling liquid that was turning a very strange shade of green.

Everyone noticed Inuyasha and Kagome's unfamiliar closeness as soon as the two had walked in. They all just stared in awe until Miroku broke the uncomfortable silence.

" Good to see you guys back. Any good news from your time Kagome?" He said with an innocent smile.

She knew he was trying to wiggle some sort of explanation out of what at first glance seamed like an ordinary question. She was not ashamed though, she was proud of the feelings she and Inuyasha shared.

_I should consider his feelings though. I know he doesn't like being open about stuff like this._

Before she answered Miroku she turned to Inuyasha.

" Should I tell them?"

Inuyasha moved to right behind her and put his arms around her waist to show that it was ok.

" Go ahead, might as well get it over with. They're going to find out sooner or later."

They now had the undivided attention of everyone in the hut.

" Well…Inuyasha and I are engaged." Kagome said, pulling the mating stone out from under her shirt. It sparkled even with no direct sunlight.

They all sat there speechless with their jaws hanging open. It was quite an unexpected shock. Admitting their feelings for each other was one thing, but to go from unsure to engaged. It was hard to believe.

After a few tense moments the shock was replaced with congratulations and questions of when, and where the wedding would be. After all was said and done it was decided that they would have the wedding after Miroku and Sango's. It was only fair considering they have been engaged longer. Inuyasha and Kagome both agreed that the best place for there wedding would be under the Goshinboku with Kaede presiding over it. Sango and Miroku had been wondering about there wedding too and decided that they would marry under Goshinboku as well.

After several hours of talking and planning, mostly between the girls, they settled down for lunch. Inuyasha was half way through his second batch of ramen when he slapped at something on his neck. He looked into his hand with mild irritation on his face, which was the signature sign that Myouga had decided to make an appearance.

" Hello master Inuyasha, I hope everything is going well." He bowed before turning to look at Kagome.

His eyes widened, he couldn't believe what he saw, but there it was.

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The mating stone that lady Izayoi left to master Inuyasha…

" Oh my, you have finally chosen a mate! I'm so glad that you found Kagome,…um I mean Lady Kagome." He bowed to Kagome as well.

Now that she was Inuyasha's intended he had to show her the proper respect.

" With your fathers strong, and tasty, blood and Kagome's priestess powers flowing through their veins you will have very strong children indeed!"

Inuyasha and Kagome both blushed at the mention of children. They planned on having them yes, but they both thought it was way to early to think about now.

Inuyasha squished the flea again, after managing to change his expression from embarrassed back to his signature irritation.

" What do you want Myouga? I know you haven't come just to visit."

Myouga hopped up onto Inuyasha's rosary to get at least some distance between him and his masters crushing fingers.

" I am here because I have news concerning the remaining jewel shards. There are whispers that the last two jewel shards yet to be collected have made their way into the hands of the raven demon twin brothers Souse and Iji. They say the brothers are supposed to be guardians of the land, but with the evil influence of the shards they have started terrorizing many villages in the east."

Miroku leaned over towards Myouga and lifted him onto his shoulder so he could talk to him more easily.

" Do you know where the brothers are now?"

Myouga rubbed his head in concentration before answering.

" Last I heard they have been attacking a village about three days travel from here, to the east."

Miroku nodded before turning to Inuyasha.

" Well I guess we're heading east."

Inuyasha grunted in reply before turning to Kagome.

" Do you need to go back to get anything before we leave in the morning?" The gentleness in his voice surprised everyone.

Even Kagome was a little surprised. She smiled at him and shook her head.

" No, we have more than enough supplies for now."

Myouga cleared his throat to show that he had more to say.

" I also have a message from Lord Sesshomaru."

This got everyone's attention back on Myouga. Inuyasha reached and picked up the little flea demon and brought him up to his face.

" You can tell that oversized ball of fluff that he isn't getting tetsusaiga unless its from my cold dead hands."

Myouga cringed at his masters angry tone and hurried to explain himself before he was squished again.

" The message isn't about tetsusaiga, Lord Sesshomaru requests an audience with you. He says that you should bring your companions with you. Please master Inuyasha, whatever he needs to see you about it is important. He would not even tell me why he needed to see you, all he said was that you and he share a common enemy and that if you wished to keep this village from harm you would speak with him."

Inuyasha squished Myouga again and dropped him to the floor.

" Keh, If he wants to see me so badly why couldn't he have come here himself. His castle is a day's travel to the west and that will add another day to our trip."

Kagome frowned at Inuyasha's tone before she grabbed an ear and tugged to get his attention.

" I think you should go see what he wants Inuyasha. You know he is not very fond of you so if he needs to speak to you it is probably important."

Inuyasha sat back against the wall with a look that showed the whole thing still didn't sit right with him, but he didn't argue like they had expected.

" Thank you for your support lady Kagome. You are very wise." Myouga bowed to her again.

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…and as patient as a saint to put up with master Inuyasha. He thought to himself as he bowed to the group once again and excused himself from the hut to be on his way.

He hurried to make his way out of the village.

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I have a bad feeling around this place, something bad is coming. I'm going to go with my first instinct and get while the getting's good.

A few minutes after Myouga left the hut Sato, the village headman, burst through the reed mat. Coughing and breathing hard as he bowed to Kaede.

"Lady Kaede, please you must come quickly and bring Lady Kagome! There is a traveling party that just stopped outside the village and they have many wounded."

Kagome grabbed her first aid kit and fell in step behind Kaede as she hurried to follow Sato outside. The others were right behind them as they made their way to the traveling party. A traveling group being attacked was not out of the ordinary, considering the all the warfare going on in the feudal era. What was surprising was that the party was made up of mostly half-demons, a few humans, and two demons. They appeared to be a bat demon and a wolf demon.

After all the injured were taken care of the two demons approached Inuyasha, Kagome, and Kaede. Inuyasha figured if they were going to attack they would have done it by now, but he still rested his hand on tetsusaiga's hilt just in case.

" Thank you for helping our wounded. I am Ryouta and this is Kazu." Ryouta said, gesturing towards the bat demon to his left.

" I'm Kagome, and I'm glad I could help. Tell me, what brings you this way and who attacked you?"

Ryouta turned and looked over all the people that had come with them with a solemn expression before he started speaking.

" We have all traveled many miles in search of a place to call home. As you probably know demons and half-demons do not have a place among most humans. It started off as just me and my mate Shizume and our son Ichiro. As we traveled from place to place, never welcome by humans or demons we began to gather followers as others like us longed for a place to belong…a family. We were camped on the outskirts of a village to the north when we finally got a shimmer of hope. We heard tale of a village in the land of Musashi, where the village was protected by a powerful half-demon and was accepting of demons and half-demons. We decided to search for this village but the last village we stopped at was out for demon blood and sought to destroy us all." Ryouta stopped talking as he looked over to a human women and a small boy with wolf ears and a tail that were probably his mate and son.

Kazu stepped up to finish what Ryouta was saying. His voice was gruffer and slightly darker as if he had seen more than his fair share of what had just happened.

" We have lost several today, there were three more demons with us but they were the first to fall protecting the group. We are the leaders now. For the most part the group is made up of women and their half-demon children. A few of them are adult half-demons that managed to stay alive long enough to join our pack. We wish to join your village, and if allowed we would owe you are lives." Kagome gave Kaede a pleading look before the elderly woman patted Kazu on the shoulder.

" Ye are welcome to stay in this village and make it your home. Go talk to the village headman about a suitable location for you to build more homes and tell him you have my blessing."

Kazu bowed low and thanked Kaede before he made his way over to the headman. Ryouta stepped forward again to speak to Kaede once more.

" We have heard many tales of the powerful half-demon Inuyasha, and I would like to meet this village's protector."

Kaede pointed to Inuyasha.

" Ye have not far to look, he stands right behind me."

Inuyasha meanwhile was standing there with the look of a man who had just had his ego inflated. Kagome grabbed a handful of dog ear and pulled it down to her level and whispered teasingly into it.

" Don't go getting a big head, oh mighty half-demon."

Ryouta chuckled at the display. Before stepping forwards to Inuyasha.

" Ah so this is the great Inuyasha, and you must be the priestess Kagome." He said as he turned his attention to the women beside Inuyasha, who had moments earlier been pulling on his ear. Ryouta looked like he was about to say more before a soft holler of, " father!" brought his attention to his son Ichiro.

" I wish I could talk with you more but I must tend to my family." He said, as he slipped off in the direction of the women and child.

" Hmm…the great Inuyasha, I like the sound of that." Inuyasha said, as he jumped into a nearby tree with Kagome to watch the sunset.

" I thought I told you not to get a big head." She giggled lightly as she rubbed his ears. They looked over the field where the travelers had been. After a long day of talking and helping whoever needed it the villagers had all taken in someone from the group so all of them had a place to stay until they built their own hut. All in all there were about fifty of them including Ryouta, and Kazu. Kagome fell asleep in Inuyasha's arms as he stared up at the stars and wondered what the next day would bring.

A/N: I know, a very short chapter. I think I got most of the errors taken care of. I hope everyone is enjoying the story. Please let me know of any ideas for future chapters. Please leave me a comment, thanks for reading.


	5. Chapter 5

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Disclaimer: The Inuyasha story does not belong to me but to Rumiko Takahashi and I thank her for bringing it to us.

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Chapter Five: The Brothers Of The Fang

As the group made their way over the top of a hill they could see Sesshomaru's castle in the distance. With every step they took closer to the castle Inuyasha seemed to get more and more anxious. He didn't like the castle, its large stone walls, cold and uninviting. He had come here once in his youth when he had no where else to go, his mother had told him about Sesshomaru and that if anything should happen to her he should seek him out. The memory still burned in his mind to this day.

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After several days of wandering through the forest Inuyasha's only goal had been to survive, when he came upon a fresh scent. This scent was like his, he knew it was Sesshomaru's. There was no one else alive that shared the scent of his kin. At such a young age Inuyasha followed the scent more out of instinct than anything else. He had been wrong to think that Sesshomaru would show him kindness because he was his brother. When the guards found him wandering around the castle they presented him to Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru took Inuyasha by the scruff of the neck and brought him up to his face.

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" You are not welcome here half-breed, leave and do not return." After he said this he marched over to the large gates and hurled Inuyasha onto the ground outside. The large gates closing behind him as Sesshomaru made his way back into the castle.

Inuyasha had not been to the castle since. Now he was here again walking through the large gates as the guards showed them in. It was a very large castle, one that even the finest daimyo would be jealous of.

They were lead to the inner courtyard, where Sesshomaru stood, his expression as stoic as ever. He inclined his head towards the group, showing only enough politeness to be appropriate for one of his class. He appeared almost bored as he looked each of them over. Though it was almost unnoticeable, for a mere second his expression changed to quiet surprise as he saw his late fathers stone necklace hanging from the miko's neck.

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So she is the one he has chosen, but he has not taken her as his mate yet, hmm…puzzling. He sniffed the air to confirm his thoughts. While each of their scents was heavy on the other they were not combined in the way that is common among mates.

He did not allow his growing curiosity to be heard in his voice as he addressed them.

" Inuyasha, I need to speak to you and the miko…alone."

He turned and walked back towards his study, as if the thought that they might refuse never crossed his mind. Inuyasha didn't like the idea of leaving his friends in the courtyard of a castle full of demons. While he couldn't see any at the moment he could smell them. There were many demons in and around the castle, most of them probably servants or guards.

He looked back as Miroku put his hand on his shoulder and nodded. With that assurance Inuyasha took Kagome's hand and followed after his brother.

Sesshomaru's study was a spacious area, with many ancient looking scrolls sitting on elaborate shelves. In the center of the room was a large table covered by what appeared to be a map of the western lands. There was a large red area on the map that was labeled **Inuyasha's forest**.

Inuyasha glanced over the map before locking eyes with his brother.

" So what do you want Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha said, never breaking eye contact even to blink.

The look in Sesshomaru's eyes almost seemed like hesitation, as if he wasn't sure how to say what he needed to.

" This Sesshomaru requires your assistance… in matters concerning the well being of our lands." He looked like even he had been surprised at his words. Inuyasha defiantly couldn't believe his ears.

" Your asking for help." Inuyasha said smugly. It was a statement, not a question.

Sesshomaru looked fit to kill at that statement. Irritation could be plainly seen on his features.

" Think what you will, but be not a fool, if there was a matter of enough importance for this Sesshomaru to have summoned you then you must consider the safety of the one who now wears our father's necklace." He inclined his hand towards Kagome and Inuyasha grew serious.

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So he knows about the necklace, keh figures, but what does all this have to do with Kagome? Now that Kagome's safety was an issue Inuyasha was all business.

" Ok what do you want?" Inuyasha stated pulling Kagome a little closer to him.

" I wish for a truce between us in these troubled times. I am running low on allies I can trust." He paused as he ran a clawed finger over the map on the table.

" There are rumors of a planned attack on our lands. There are many who seek our downfall." He stopped and pointed toward the red area on the map.

" The one behind the plans is the demon lord of the eastern lands, Tousoku. He is a cat demon with many followers, and allies against us. Your village is in the way of his army and he wont hesitate to destroy it."

He stepped towards Inuyasha, and bowed in a way that few, if any, had ever seen him do before.

" Your village is the only thing that stands in the way of his march to this castle. I ask if you will let me defend it alongside you. Under the protection of the brothers of the fang it shall not fall."

Inuyasha was stunned, to say the least. Not only had Sesshomaru asked for a truce, but he wanted to defend a human village along side him. Inuyasha looked down at the map again and realized the importance of the village. It was settled in between two dense forests and was indeed right in the middle of the path from east to west. If anyone wanted to seize this castle they would have to go through the village first.

" So when are they going to attack?" Inuyasha asked.

" I do not know, but a fair guess would be the first break of the coming winter. I have sent my spies to find out what they can, but they will likely not return for several weeks. I will send word to you when I have more information."

" So brother, do we have a truce?" he bowed again and waited for Inuyasha.

Inuyasha grinned and bowed back.

" Alright truce, but only until all this is over, then I'm kicking your butt fluffy."

Sesshomaru's eye twitched at the use of _that_ word. He hated the nickname his brother had made up for him, but he needed his assistance so he would have to wait to kill him.

" Elegantly put, baka. I have no other news for you, you may go."

With that Inuyasha and Kagome left the room. Kagome had decided to keep her mouth shut through the whole thing. She didn't want to make the tension between them worse.

They found the others where they left them a few minutes before. She could imagine why he wanted to talk to us alone.

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He had a hard enough time being civil when it was just Inuyasha and me. With all of us in there he might have lost it. She thought, as they made there way through the gates back to the village.

On the way they told the others about what they heard. All the time having no idea what awaited them back at the village.

A/N: Sorry for the long wait, I've been really busy lately. I hope you are enjoying the story, please Leave me a comment. Thanks.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: The Inuyasha story does not belong to me but to Rumiko Takahashi and I thank her for bringing it to us.**

Chapter Six: Sai

As Inuyasha and the others reached the edge of the village they caught sight of a young man who appeared to be building a small hut. When they got closer they could see that he was an inu hanyou like Inuyasha. He looked a little younger and had a scar going from his nose to his cheek and a burn on his right shoulder, but the fuzzy ears and long silver hair was the same. He wore handmade fur clothing similar to Kouga's. His ears twitched as they approached and he turned to them, relaxing when he realized who it was.

"Hello, my name is Sai and I wanted to thank you for letting us stay here. It has been a long time since I had a place to call home." He said with a genuine smile.

"We are glad we could help Sai. I know it must have been hard on you and the others, traveling in fear for so long. How did you meet all of the others anyway?" Kagome asked curiously.

Sai paused for a second, his features serious and he had a look of someone remembering something painful. The same look that Inuyasha got from time to time, especially when thinking about his mother.

"I was a small boy then, not much older than the kit." He said, pointing to Shippou. "I was with my parents helping them plant a small garden outside our home. After a while something caught my attention and I wandered off into the forest. A snake demon found me and cornered me against a tree, intent on making me its next meal. My father found me and killed the snake before it could attack." He paused and sighed before continuing. "Unfortunately the snake had a mate that had found my mother while father was looking for me. By the time we made it back she was dead. Father was so enraged that he attacked the larger demon without hesitation, severing its head, but not before it sank two poison fangs into him. I couldn't stand to see my parents like that so I turned and ran. I ran until I couldn't anymore and collapsed in the woods. I knew enough about the wilderness to survive and did for several years, until I met Kazu and the others and they asked me to join them."

When Sai finished with his story the group was astonished. Like Inuyasha, he had survived for several years of his childhood alone in the wilderness. Inuyasha had a look of understanding as he nodded while Sai talked. He liked this new guy…

As they made their way through the village to Kaede's they saw that many of the new comers had started work on building their own homes. All of them smiled and waved when they saw the village protectors walking past. Kazu and Ryouta spent most of their time helping the women and children of the group who could not build a shelter on their own.

They were all relieved when they entered Kaede's hut and the sweet aroma of freshly brewed tea filled their noses. They were all ready to settle in and get some rest. Kaede handed each of them a cup of tea and settled down beside them.

"I have news that ye all may find interesting. While all of you were away we have had six more families of demons come to take refuge in the village."

That's very interesting Kaede, why did all of them come here?" Miroku asked after he sipped his tea.

"Well it seems that word has spread quickly about this village being a haven for demons and hanyous. Now many are coming here to finally have a place to belong."

"Hmm… A larger population will come in handy with what is to come." Sango said, rubbing her aching shoulders.

"What is to come? What do ye mean by that?" Kaede asked, raising the eyebrow over her good eye.

"There is a war headed this way. An army led by the demon lord of the eastern lands, Tousoku, is going to try and march straight through this village to take the western lands." Kagome said, as she relaxed Inuyasha by rubbing his ears.

He would never admit it to anyone, but he almost felt like purring when she did that just right. The strange thing is dogs don't purr, but darn it if he didn't want to when he got little attentions like that from Kagome.

"This is troubling indeed. I must go inform the headmen of this. All of ye should get some rest, there is much work to be done tomorrow." Kaede said as she walked out to find the headmen. 

A/N: Sorry for such a short chapter and that its taking me longer then I said to repost my revised chapters. As a consolation I added quite a bit of dialogue to this chapter from the original. Thanks for reading please R&R.


	7. Chapter 7

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Disclaimer: The Inuyasha story does not belong to me but to Rumiko Takahashi and I thank her for bringing it to us.

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Chapter Seven: The Mating

Warning: Slight sexual situation in this chapter. I don't think its anything that bad but you have been warned. If you wish to skip it then read only to the warning placed in the chapter.

The sun was setting slowly behind the mountains in the distance, Inuyasha watched and waited as he felt the familiar drain of his power as he always did on his human nights. He turned to Kagome who stood beside him by the well. He took her hand lightly and pulled her to him as he positioned for their jump.

He was as usual spending his human night on Kagome's side of the well. Common sense would tell you that this would be the best way to avoid exposing Inuyasha's human time. The truth was the time spent on these nights with Kagome were like little vacations for him. As much as he didn't like being human, he enjoyed the peace with Kagome very much. When he is there with her, there are no jewel shards, no angry demons, no hanyou prejudice, just him and Kagome enjoying the peace and tenderness that they shared.

He climbed out of the well and reached down to help Kagome up. They walked hand in hand to the dark house. When it was apparent no one was home Kagome reached under the mat by the door to get the extra key. When they walked into the kitchen Inuyasha made a beeline to the cabinet that he knew housed the ramen. As Inuyasha grabbed several boxes of ramen Kagome found a note to her sitting on the table.

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Kagome,

A museum of Japanese shrines has invited your grandfather and his family to view a showing of a recently discovered shrine ruin. I'm sorry you couldn't come with us. The ruins are a day away, we will be staying in a local hotel and be back tomorrow.

P.S. Oh and tell Inuyasha I have ramen in the cabinet for him.

Kagome sighed as she looked over to Inuyasha, well into his second round of ramen. She reached over and showed him the note. He looked up for a split second and grunted before diving back into the noodles.

Kagome rubbed her shoulders to try and drive away the ache that had been bothering her for a while. She realized that what she really wanted and needed was a bath. She told Inuyasha she was going to take one and headed up the stairs.

She placed her hand underneath the flowing water to check its temperature, it was perfect. She removed the towel from around herself and slipped into the water. It felt so good, and relaxing. The aches in her body quickly dissolved away as she lay blissfully in the bath.

For a second she had an image of Inuyasha running a soapy sponge across her back go through her mind and her face tinged bright red. She quickly pushed the thought aside as the excess heat in her face made her a little dizzy. Though it could be that it was just the effect he had on her.

When she finished with her bath she walked back down to find Inuyasha sitting on the couch in the living room. She had put her soft, pink silk pajamas on and they felt wonderful when she sat next to him and snuggled in as close as she could.

He smiled when she sat next to him, and pulled her close to him.

--Warning: Slight Lime--

They had their arms wrapped around each other. Hands and lips massaging and searching. Their only purpose to bring the other pleasure.

Kagome moaned and ran her fingers through his hair as he made a trail of soft kisses down her neck. They found each others lips again and shared a passionate kiss. The world melted away to just the two of them as they relished in the warmth of each other. No words were spoken, none were needed. They could feel the love they had for each other in their actions, no sounds to disturb the peace around them other than soft moans and incoherent whispers. When thinking back neither remember how or when it happened, but there they lay, on Inuyasha's haori like a blanket in nothing but skin. They were not embarrassed though, being far to engulfed in their feelings of love and a need to express it. When they were joined as mates he did not say I love you, because such simple words paled in comparison to what he felt towards his beloved at that moment.

They made love several times throughout the night, each time as enjoyable as the first, until finally succumbing to sleep wrapped in each others arms snuggled together.

A/N: Well I finally reposted what I think was one of the most anticipated chapters of this story when I first posted it. I kept getting comments like, " When they going to mate" a lot. ( Not that I have a problem with comments) I don't have much to say on this chapter so I just want to leave a note about the fan art I have posted that was done by Brandy Enox. I'm glad she decided to help me out cuz I just cant get the detail in pictures like she can. I guess it can come in handy to date an artist. The pictures posted as of right now are of Sai and Ryouta, as well as a picture of the cave where found the mating stone that his mother left him. Also I have another version of this chapter called chapter 7.1 that goes into a lot more detail into the mating if you get my meaning. So if you want the adult lemon version of this chapter then leave me a comment with an email address and I will send it to you. As always thanks for reading and please leave a comment.


	8. Chapter 8

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Disclaimer: The Inuyasha story does not belong to me but to Rumiko Takahashi and I thank her for bringing it to us.

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Chapter Eight: The Old Man

The last of the leaves had fallen from the trees and a harsh chilling wind blew, as if warning of the coming winter, but Kagome and Inuyasha couldn't have been more comfortable as they walked hand in hand to the village. They made small talk and shot each other loving looks as they went. The cold forgotten to them as they seemed to have a lovers glow. This glow did not go unnoticed as the reached old Kaede's hut.

Miroku tried to hide his perverted grin while Sango blushed beside him. Kaede looked up and raised an eyebrow over her good eye while Shippou sat beside her coloring, completely clueless to the silent conversation going on in the room by the adults.

Any doubts were put to rest when Kagome blushed and Inuyasha puffed out his chest. The mating stone around Kagome's neck glowed brighter than ever.

Miroku cleared his throat and broke the uncomfortable silence in the room before he spoke.

" Inuyasha, the village seers have predicted a hard winter is coming. We need to get the last two jewel shards soon." He reached into his robes and pulled out a scroll. When he stretched it out on the floor they saw it was a map.

" This map was given to me by a messenger from Sesshomaru. He wants the jewel to be complete and under our protection so Tousoku can not use it to aid his army. The village that is being attacked by the raven twins is here, beyond these two mountains." He pointed to a spot on the map that said **Raven Village**. It sat inside what appeared to be a circle of large cliffs with two larger mountains in front, almost like a gate.

" The messenger told me that if the weather gets to bad the path between the mountains will become impassible, and we wont be able to get to the village until spring. By then Tousoku and his army will be on the march."

Inuyasha kneeled down to get a closer look at the map.

" I know this area, shouldn't take more than a few days to get there. I don't like how close it is to the eastern border though, we'll have to stay on our toes. We need to hurry and get the shards, we leave at noon."

Everyone nodded and went about getting ready to go, Inuyasha went to get some water from the river. He was stopped by someone yelling his name.

" Inuyasha! I'm glad I found you. I wanted to talk to you."

Inuyasha turned and saw Ryouta coming towards him.

" What do you want Ryouta? I am in a hurry." Inuyasha said, folding his arms together and tapping his fingers.

" I heard that you were leaving to retrieve the last of the jewel shards. Is that true?"

Inuyasha looked Ryouta over, he still didn't completely trust him but he had a human wife and child so he couldn't be that bad.

" Yes its true, we are headed east to Raven village. Why do you want to know?"

" We passed by that village several times in our search for a home. We became good friends with that village and the raven twins. They did not have room for us, but they helped us when they could. Please Inuyasha, I have to ask that you spare the raven brothers if you can. They are not bad… it's the shards evil that is doing it to them."

Inuyasha nodded, " I'll do what I can, don't worry."

Ryouta thanked him, and Inuyasha walked back to his friends who were now ready to go.

They walked down the old road towards the east, the sun was behind the clouds but they could tell it was around late afternoon.

Kagome pulled her jacket up to cover more of her neck against a frigid breeze. Seeing that she was uncomfortable in the cold Inuyasha took of his haori and offered it to her.

" Here Kagome, take this, it will keep you warm."

Kagome shook her head and gently pushed it back to him. " No Inuyasha you need it, its getting really cold out here."

" Keh, I'm a half-demon, I barely feel the cold. You need it more than I do."

" Are you sure?" Kagome asked, looking up at him with searching eyes.

" Yes, I'll be fine now take it." He handed it to her again and she took it and smiled.

" Thank you Inuyasha, its so warm." She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

" Keh, that's just the fur of the fire rat, its always warm."

When they reached a small inn on the road east they decided to stop. They let Miroku obtain rooms for them the way he usually did, and they laid down together in their room.

They all sat around the fire pit in the room, a stew was cooking in a small pot.

A little while later there was a knock at the door and when Inuyasha slid it open the old man that was the inn keeper came in with an arm full of small logs.

" Gonna' be a cold night, I can feel it in my bones. I brought you folks some extra wood for the fire."

Miroku reached up to take the wood from the old man. " You are most kind to us traveling strangers. Please may we know your name?"

The old man bowed formally and smiled before replying, " The name's Taku, and I'm always happy to help when I can. Tell me something though, if you don't mind me asking, what is it that you guys are traveling for anyway? The weathers not getting any better."

Taku listened intently as Miroku told him a little of what had happened and of their quest to the Raven village. When he finished Taku folded his arms and sighed, thinking.

" Ah yes, I remember talk of that village. It is protected by the raven brothers. The village itself is very secluded within the mountains with only one pass in and out. They say the Raven twins would soar over the mountains and get food and other things for the village when it was cut off, but I have had several people stop here that had fled from that very village. They said the twins had gone mad, and would attack different homes each night. The village is deserted now and any who enter it now do not return."

" We need to hurry and get there and get those shards so the evil the jewel spreads will be stopped." Inuyasha stated, and the others nodded.

They thanked Taku and he excused himself from the room. After they had eaten their stew they laid down and went to sleep.

No one said anything about it, but it was a bit different without Shippou there with them. They had decided to leave him with Kaede because she needed a little extra help around this time of the year and he would be safer there. Nobody said anything as Sango and Miroku settled down beside each other and Inuyasha wrapped his arms around Kagome as they laid down.

BOOM!!

The ground shook and there was a large crash that brought the group quickly out of their sleep. When Inuyasha looked up he saw a huge hole in the side of the inn where a large bear demon had torn right through it. He quickly drew tetsusaiga as the bear came closer. He pushed Kagome behind him as the bears intentions became clear.

"Give me the shikon jewel!!" It roared as it launched itself towards them.

Normally Inuyasha would have finished it quickly with the wind scar, but he knew at this range he would destroy the inn and hurt the old man. So he jumped and met the bear half way pushing his blade against the bears razor sharp claws and throwing him back towards the forest.

The Bear demon roared again and slashed with such ferocity that it caused four large blades of wind to fly from his claws towards Inuyasha. Inuyasha easily dodged them, but the inn behind him wasn't that lucky. The blades ripped through the building leaving nothing but ruble behind. He looked back to make sure his friends made it out ok and was relieved to see them walking safely out of the ruble.

In the moment that he was distracted he barely had enough time to stop the demons mighty claws from cutting him in half with tetsusaiga. The force knocked him to the ground and he was pinned by the large beast. As the bear drew back to make the final strike a flash of white energy came from behind it and hit it in the back. The demon roared and snarled as the skin that the energy had hit sizzled and burned. For a moment it was stunned and Inuyasha took the opportunity and thrust tetsusaiga upward, cleaving the bear demon in two.

When Inuyasha stood up he looked for the source of the blast of energy. It was strong, but different from anything his friends could do. He was shocked when he saw the old man standing behind the corpse in strange clothes almost like a priest, but with armor plating.

" What the heck was that Taku? Why didn't you tell us you could do that?" Inuyasha yelled as he made his way over to him.

Taku shrugged, " You didn't ask."

" Taku what's going on? Why are you dressed that way?" Kagome asked, as she made her way over to them with Sango and Miroku.

Taku sighed and told them what was going on.

"Well… I was supposed to be retired, but I couldn't help but jump in for a little action. In the days of my youth I traveled with a sect of warrior monks, they taught me their ways and their fighting techniques. One of which was what you just witnessed. We traveled the land slaying demons with evil auras, but one by one the warrior monks fell, until I was the only one left. I was not yet a master when my teacher died so I never took on any students. It has taken me into my old age to perfect the techniques I learned so long ago on my own. The ways of our sect die with me sadly…"

After he had finished talking Kagome looked over to what was once the inn. It now was nothing more than a pile of stone and wood.

" Taku, I'm so sorry about your inn. I wish there was something we could do." She said, with a sorrowful expression.

After a few seconds Sango came up with a solution.

" Hey what if he goes to live in the village? It has plenty of room and its only a day's travel from here. The village could also use another defender like him in the coming troubles."

Taku thought it over and smiled, " That sounds like a wonderful idea Sango, thank you."

They spent about a half an hour going through the mess to find a few things left that Taku could take with him to the village. After several things had been gathered they all laid down beside a large tree and got what sleep they could the rest of the night.

In the morning Taku was packed and given directions by Miroku. They waved goodbye to him as they walked off into the other direction. Hurrying toward what was once raven village, in hopes of getting there before anything else bad happened. As they made there way closer to the mountain pass they never noticed the sleek, black, beady eyed stalker that followed them in the trees, watching them…

A/N: Just three more chapters to go until this story is back to its former glory. As for after the tenth chapter, I have good news. I already had half of the never released chapter 11 already made, so a brand new chapter should be posted pretty soon after chapter 10 is finally reposted. Also a reminder that I have no set in stone plot for the future of this story, so any plot ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated and have a very high chance of showing up in the story. In fact, if a good idea is posted I will work it into my story if at all possible. So if you have any ideas or if there is a little something you have always wanted to see in an Inuyasha fanfic just leave it in a comment and who knows. As always, thanks for reading please R&R


	9. Chapter 9

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Disclaimer: The Inuyasha story does not belong to me but to Rumiko Takahashi and I thank her for bringing it to us.

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Chapter Nine: The Raven Twins

The group made their way through the pass between the mountains, the wind carried drifts of snow and ice that made it hard to see.

When they made it to the village, broken homes and bones scattered about were all they found. The weather was getting terrible as the drifts became flurries. Only Inuyasha could see father than ten feet away.

They headed towards the center of the village, looking for clues when Inuyasha stopped them.

" We're being watched, be careful." He pulled out tetsusaiga and held it defensively in front of him.

There was a loud screech from somewhere above them, but they couldn't tell where it came from through the snow drifts.

Inuyasha sensed it first and grabbed Kagome, jumping out of the way as a pair of large arm length talons jammed into the ground where she had been standing.

When Inuyasha put her down he looked up and saw a giant beast poised and ready for round two.

It was a raven demon, but he knew it wasn't one of the raven twins. This was a lesser demon that was more animal like then other demons, and lacked the ability to appear human, much like Kirara. This thing was much larger and not anywhere near as pleasant. It had a long sharp beak, beady eyes, sleek black feathers mixed with armored scales, and feet with razor sharp talons.

It screeched again and flapped its large wings, lifting up into the air and disappearing into the haze.

Inuyasha wanted to use the wind scar on it, but using it when he couldn't see the target could be dangerous, so he waited and watched, his dog ears swiveling and twitching with every sound.

" Sango duck!!" Inuyasha yelled, as he did the demon swooped down and barley missed taking off Sango's head.

As the demon turned around Sango swung hiraikotsu in a wide ark. It went strait towards the bird, but a strong gust of wind knocked it off course and it clipped the demons shoulder. It was enough to bring the large demon back to earth as it hit the ground with a crash. It thrashed and screeched as it tried frantically to get back into the air, but it couldn't.

Inuyasha approached it and raised up his sword, ready to finish it. Right as he started to bring tetsusaiga down he felt himself being lifted up and hurled backwards into an old building. He used tetsusaiga to help him sit up. He looked up and saw a young man with long black hair and a red mark down the right side of his face looking down at him. When he tried to get up the long haired demon struck him across the face and he was knocked backwards several feet.

"Inuyasha!!" Kagome screamed, and struggled against a hand wrapped around her neck that belonged to someone that looked like the demon that attacked Inuyasha, but with shorter hair in a high ponytail and a blue stripe on the left side of his face.

It was obvious that these two were the raven twins. Inuyasha quickly jumped to his feet and went after the one hurting Kagome but was cut off by the one with the red mark. He barely avoided being run through as the black wings that sprouted from the twin's back shot razor sharp feathers towards him. He leaped to the side and then towards Kagome again.

By this time the twin with the blue mark found what he had been looking for. The small bottle hidden away that housed the rest of the jewel. In the process he had ripped her shirt halfway off and this infuriated Inuyasha.

"Kagome!!" Inuyasha screamed as he slammed his fist into the attackers stomach and knocked him to the ground. Inuyasha pushed Kagome behind him as he turned again to the twin on the ground. He readied himself to strike, but heard the other twin coming up behind him. Right as Inuyasha turned around the twin had brought his clawed hand up, ready to bring it down.

Then suddenly a small paper sutra flew through the air and stuck to the twins forehead. It sparked and glowed, the demon roared then fell limply to the ground. Inuyasha saw Miroku attaching another sutra to the other twin. The large crow had also been subdued.

When everything was calm again Kagome focused and located the jewel shards. They had them stuck in between their shoulder blades. Kagome pulled the shards from their backs and the dark aura that surrounded them disappeared and was replaced with a lighter, peaceful one.

The large demon also calmed and shrank to a much smaller size. Its eyes seem to clear as if it had been in a trance. When Miroku pulled the sutras from the twin's heads they remained unconscious for a while.

Souse opened his eyes slowly and looked around, taking in his surroundings. He saw that he was in a decaying old hut and his brother Iji was beside him smiling.

"I'm glad to see your awake brother." He said, taking him by the arm and pulling him to his feet.

"What happened Iji, what's going on?" He asked, confused as to why he was here and who the other people in the room are.

"These people," he said pointing over to Inuyasha and the others, "they saved us from ourselves. Don't you remember? The jewel shards we found. They turned us into something horrible."

Souse concentrated for a moment and all the horrible memories came back. He grabbed his head and fell to his knees as he remember all the things they had done while the jewel had controlled them.

"I can't believe we did those things brother. How could we?" Souse said, as Iji pulled him back up again. He held his shoulders tightly and made him look at him.

"It couldn't be helped Souse. We didn't know that would happen. Don't blame yourself."

Souse nodded and Iji patted him on the shoulder.

Iji turned to Inuyasha and the others, " Now I think its time you were introduced to our saviors." He pointed out each of the group and they introduced themselves.

Iji had woken up long before Souse and had everything explained to him as his brother slept.

Inuyasha and the others had also learned several things. Souse was more immature and a little smaller, the red mark on his face. Iji was bigger and seemed to be more of the boss. His face had the blue mark.

The large bird that had attacked them in the beginning was named Karasu. He was an extension of the brothers power, which is why the jewels evil affected him as well. In a way he reminded them of Kirara. Much like Kirara, Karasu had a large demon form and a smaller harmless form.

After they had talked for several hours, they learned the brothers had found the jewel shards while hunting. They felt the power inside them and used them, but had no idea it would turn them into heartless monsters.

"So what are you going to do now? Where are you going to go?" Kagome asked the twins.

"I don't know…" Iji replied.

"Come back to the village with us. We could really use strong allies right now."

Souse looked over at his brother. He appeared to be thinking it over. He finally smiled and nodded in agreement.

They all left quickly as the weather became unbearable. Snow pounded and the wind screeched. The farther they got away from the mountains the better the weather got.

They stopped for the night when they reached what was left of Taku's inn. Inuyasha lifted up a portion of the main wall and placed long beams under it to make shelter for them. They quickly got a fire going to stave off the nights cold but were worried about it going out during the night. Souse and Iji offered to stay up and watch the fire since being full demons, they required little sleep.

A/N: Well I'm finally getting close to having this story back to its old self. I don't have much to say other then as always please leave a review. Also Brandy Enox my fan art artist has really been wanting some comments on the artwork she made for this story. So please check out the fan art I have posted of Sai, Ryouta, and the secret cave. A comment would be very appreciated.


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